The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 of Japanese Patent Application No. JP 2001-192722 filed on Jun. 26, 2001, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a grommet having a resin inner sleeve for fixing a connector, and specifically relates to a grommet which is assembled on a wire harness wired in an automobile and which is mounted in the penetration hole of a car body panel.
2. Background of the Invention
When a door harness that is wired to a door side is hung, for example, in the penetration hole of a car body panel through the penetration hole of a door panel, the grommet 1, as shown in FIG. 5A, has been conventionally installed on a wire harness W/H between the door panel and the car body panel. An inner sleeve 3 made of a resin is assembled in the inside of the enlarged tubular portion 2a of the grommet 1. The enlarged tubular portion 2a is provided at one end of the grommet main body 2 which is made of a rubber or an elastomer. The grommet 1 is designed to be hooked, via one hand only, by inserting the locking hook 3a which is provided at the outer face of the inner sleeve 3, into the penetration hole H1 of the car body panel A.
Specifically, the above-mentioned grommet 1, which is hooked in the penetration holes H1 and H2 that are provided on the car body panel A and the door panel B, includes a the enlarged tubular portion 2c which is mounted in the penetration hole H2 of the door panel B. The enlarged tubular portion 2c is located at one end of the bellows shape small diameter tubular portion 2b of the grommet main body 2, and is continuously formed with the above-mentioned enlarged tubular portion 2a and is mounted in the penetration hole H1 of the car body panel A, at another end. A hooking groove 2d is provided on the outer peripheral face of the enlarged tubular portion 2c of the door panel B side. The hooking groove 2d is configured to be fitted in the peripheral rim of the penetration hole H2 and allows the grommet 1 to be mounted in a sealed condition.
The inner sleeve 3 is made of a resin and is hooked to the grommet 1 by being internally fitted in the enlarged tubular portion 2a. An edge face of peripheral wall 3c of the inner sleeve 3 abuts or is adjacent to on the bottom wall 2e of the enlarged tubular portion 2a. Further, a locking hook 3a for hooking the grommet 1 to a car body is provided on the peripheral wall 3c of the inner sleeve 3. The locking hook 3a protrudes slightly from the edge opening of the enlarged tubular portion 2a. 
A locking frame 3b is also provided on the peripheral wall of the inner sleeve 3. A locking hook 4b of the connector 4 is connected with electric wire terminal which is inserted into the small diameter tubular portion 2b. The connector 4 is fixed in the inner sleeve 3 by locking using the locking hook 4b and the locking frame 3b. However, this configuration locates the terminal insertion face 4a at or very close to the bottom wall 2e. Additionally, the face 4a is arranged at about the same plane with the peripheral wall 3c of the inner sleeve 3. Accordingly, the terminal insertion face 4a is situated close to the bottom wall 2e of the enlarged tubular portion 2a with only a slight gap S. As a result of this arrangement, the electric wires W which pass through the small diameter tubular portion 2b from the door panel side and are thereafter inserted and hooked into the cavity of the connector 4, tend to hit and/or engage the bottom wall 2e of the enlarged tubular portion 2a at an under-neck position of the connector 4, i.e., when the wires are wired into the connector 4, they experience significant bending because the gap S between wall 2e and terminal insertion face 4a is relatively small, i.e., approximately 5 mm.
When the grommet 1 is assembled into the penetration hole H1, the bottom wall 2e of the enlarged tubular portion 2a experiences significantly and vigorously pushing forces in the insertion direction from an outside direction. As a result, the peripheral wall 3c of the inner sleeve 3 of the inside also experiences pushing forces until the locking hook 3a at the edge of the inner sleeve 3 is inserted into the penetration hole H1. The locking hook 3a fixes and/or hooks the grommet 1 at the peripheral rim of the inside face of the penetration hole H1, in the manner shown in FIG. 5A. However, during this installation procedure, the electric wires W which are already installed in the grommet 1 and in the connector 4, necessarily also experience strong pushing forces from outside, especially in the area of bending portion C, which contacts and/or engages the bottom wall 2e of the enlarged tubular portion 2a. The electric wires W are thus liable to experiencing a great loads or forces. Accordingly, because the wires experience such forces, it is possible that they can be damaged, snapped or broken, etc.
Further, since the electric wires W are wired into the connector in a manner in which they are significantly bent within the slight gap S at the under-neck position of the connector 4, there also exists the problem that the bottom wall 2e of the enlarged tubular portion 2a is pushed, deflected, or otherwise deformed away from the connector by tension forces of the electric wires W, as shown in FIG. 5B. As a result, the grommet 1 can appear swollen.
The present invention therefore provides a grommet which includes a resin inner sleeve for fixing a connector wherein the grommet reduces a load that is loaded on electric wires during installing of the grommet and provides for a grommet which maintains a good appearance after it is installed.
The present invention provides a grommet having a resin inner sleeve for fixing a connector. The grommet is designed to be installed on a wire harness and is designed to be inserted into the penetration hole of the car body panel of an automobile. An inner sleeve made of a resin includes a car body hooking hook which protrudes from the inner sleeve. The inner sleeve has an outer face and a peripheral wall and is stored, fixed and/or otherwise retained in an enlarged tubular portion of a grommet main body. The grommet main body is made of an elastomer and is formed with the above-mentioned enlarged tubular portion being located at one end. A small diameter tubular portion of the grommet allows electric wires to pass through the grommet. The inner sleeve is utilized to firmly fix and/or lock the grommet to an automobile panel. The inner sleeve is adapted to receive the connector and includes a peripheral wall. The peripheral wall of the inner sleeve protrudes back past the terminal insertion face of the connector, such that the bottom face of the peripheral wall abuts on a bottom wall of the enlarged tubular portion of the grommet main body. A large space is thus provided between the terminal insertion face of the connector and the bottom wall of the enlarged tubular portion. As a result, the grommet is structured in such a manner that no load will be applied to electric wires upon installation, i.e., the wires which are already inserted into the small diameter tubular portion and into the connector do not experience loads when a user presses against the bottom wall of the enlarged tubular portion during installation of the grommet.
As described above, since a relatively large space (e.g., of approximately 3 to approximately 4 times, or more, versus that of the prior art) is provided between the terminal insertion face of the connector and the bottom face of the peripheral wall of the inner sleeve and further, between the bottom wall of the enlarged tubular portion and the terminal insertion face of the connector, the portion of the electric wires which are located in the area of the under-neck position of the connector are not bent to a significant extent or angle, as in the prior art. The electric wires in the under-neck position of the connector are thus protected by the resin inner sleeve which greatly protrudes and/or extends from the terminal insertion face. According to this arrangement, even if the bottom wall of the enlarged tubular portion experiences pressing loads or forces during installation of the grommet into the penetration hole, such loads are not transferred in any significant way to the wires. As a result, the grommet can be installed without fear that the electric wires may be snapped, broken or damaged, etc.
As discussed above, the bottom face of the peripheral wall of the inner sleeve greatly protrudes past the terminal insertion face of the connector, extends to the bottom wall of the enlarged tubular portion, and engages the bottom wall. As a result of this arrangement, one can effectively insert the inner sleeve into the penetration hole by pushing against the bottom wall of the enlarged tubular portion upon installation of the grommet into the penetration hole. Moreover, making the inner sleeve longer acts to reinforce from the inside the whole enlarged tubular portion. This is an important advantage of the invention since the enlarged tubular portion is liable to be strongly pressured by a worker upon installation of the grommet. Accordingly, the invention allows a worker to install the grommet more easily.
Furthermore, since the invention provides for a relatively large space between the terminal insertion face of the connector and the bottom wall of the enlarged tubular portion, the electric wires in the enlarged tubular portion do not engage and/or are not pressed against the bottom wall of the enlarged tubular portion. Moreover, this large space means that the wires are not bent at a steep angle between the connector and the small diameter tubular portion. Instead, the wires are allowed to have curve leniently in this area. Another advantage of this large space is that the wires do not engage, deflect, and/or deform the bottom wall of the enlarged tubular portion. Accordingly, unlike the prior art, the grommet will not have a swollen appearance which results from contact between the wires and the bottom wall. Instead, the grommet will have an improved appearance after it is installed because the wires do not deform the grommet.
The invention therefore provides a grommet that is insertable into a penetration hole of a car body panel of an automobile wherein the grommet includes a resin inner sleeve which is adapted to receive a connector that is installed on a wire harness. The inner sleeve includes a peripheral wall having a bottom face and a car body hooking hook that is arranged on an outer face of a peripheral wall, the inner sleeve being stored and fixed in an enlarged tubular portion. A grommet main body is made of an elastomer and includes the enlarged tubular portion located at one end of a small diameter tubular portion which is adapted to receive electric wires. A connector receiving cavity is defined in the inner sleeve and includes a terminal insertion face. The connector receiving cavity is adapted to receive a connector. The bottom face of the peripheral wall abuts on a bottom wall of the enlarged tubular portion. A large space is provided between the terminal insertion face and the bottom wall of the enlarged tubular portion. The grommet is installable on the automobile in a manner in which no load is applied to the electric wires which are inserted through the small diameter tubular portion when the bottom wall of the enlarged tubular portion experiences a pressing force.
The inner sleeve may include an inner lip in the area of the bottom face of the peripheral wall. The connector may be locked within the inner sleeve.
The invention also provides for a grommet which includes a grommet main body having a bellows shaped portion and an enlarged portion. An inner sleeve is retained within the enlarged portion and is adapted to receive a connector. The inner sleeve includes a peripheral wall with a bottom face, and engaging hooks which are configured to engage an opening in an automobile panel so as to secure the grommet to the automobile panel. The inner sleeve includes a cavity which is configured to receive a connector, wherein the cavity defines a terminal insertion plane. A space is defined between the terminal insertion plane and the bottom face whereby the space is large enough to allow wires of a wire harness to be installed into the connector without the wires significantly engaging a bottom wall of the enlarged portion. Wherein, when the grommet is installed into the automobile panel and experiences pressing forces in the area of the bottom wall of the enlarged portion, the wires are not significantly stressed or damaged by the installation.
The invention also provides a method of installing the grommet into a penetration hole of a car body panel of an automobile, which includes installing the wiring harness in the grommet, and hooking the inner sleeve into the penetrating hole so that the enlarged tubular portion engages the car body panel.
The invention also provides a grommet that includes a grommet main body having a bellows shaped portion and an enlarged portion. An inner sleeve is retained within the enlarged portion and is adapted to receive a connector. The inner sleeve includes a peripheral wall with a bottom face, and engaging hooks which are configured to engage an opening in an automobile panel so as to secure the grommet to the automobile panel. A space is defined between a terminal insertion plane and the bottom face whereby the space is large enough to allow wires of a wire harness to be installed into the connector without the wires significantly engaging a bottom wall of the enlarged portion.
The inner sleeve may include a cavity which is configured to receive a connector, wherein the cavity defines the terminal insertion plane. When the grommet is installed into the automobile panel and experiences pressing forces in the area of the bottom wall of the enlarged portion, the wires may not significantly stressed or damaged by the installation.
The invention also provides for a method of installing the grommet into a penetration hole of a car body panel of an automobile wherein the method includes installing the wiring harness in the grommet and hooking the inner sleeve into the penetrating hole so that the enlarged tubular portion engages the car body panel.